He's thinking Cabinet for his wife, and it doesn't involve a kitchen

"I think my wife should have a Cabinet job," former Defense Secretary William Cohen said.

That's a political tidbit from at Saturday's Starkey Hearing Foundation Annual Awards Gala at the RiverCentre in St. Paul.

Before the red-carpet event began in earnest, I told him I was looking for Janet Langhart Cohen, president and CEO of Langhart Communications, author and former TV journalist and model. "Well, I'm going to get her," he said.

Cohen, who falls in the category of reasonable Republican, seems like a natural to get another Cabinet-level or other high-ranking post whether Barack Obama or John McCain is elected president.

But it doesn't sound as though Cohen, chair and CEO of the Cohen Group, a D.C.-based international business consulting firm, is interested. But he clearly thinks that someone at home is worthy.

About that one: No photo or video of Janet Cohen is as beautiful (a word that also doesn't do her justice) as she is in person. "That's true," Cohen Group media guy Phil Zeeck said with a laugh Monday. "That's not your photography skill; that's Janet."

"She has never been named to that list," Zeeck added after researching into whether Janet has ever made People mag's list of most beautiful. That's OUTRAGEOUS! "That's what I think," Zeeck said.

Anderson the younger asked Lou Ferrigno whether he was going to run against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Anderson made the comment "thinking he would completely understand I was kidding." Ferrigno treated it seriously, as did I. "Oh, God," Anderson said Monday while recalling how Ferrigno replied that Arnold was his friend.

We both thought Ferrigno was joking when he said he was in law enforcement. "Last year, Lou completed an extensive and academic training program and became a 'deputy' for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department," states louferrigno.com.

If he's a real deputy, the webmaster might want to remove those quote marks around the word deputy.

Lou, who starred in the TV version of "The Incredible Hulk," gave the 2008 Hulk movie thumbs-up. The trailer seems kind of dark. It's not. It's great, it's very green," said Carla Ferrigno, his wife.

Listen to this That Anderson kid's nice gossipy company. He radiates that Minnesota Nice vibe, yet he's snarky.

Better not tell you too much or he'll never stand near me again. However, our gums got to flappin' about the full rock and roll love life of Eleanor Mondale. The radio host was there with a WCCO-AM crew, when Lucy Walsh, daughter of the Eagles' Joe Walsh, arrived.

Don't know if Lucy's dad wears a hearing aid, but there is something going on, understandably, when you listen to him at joewalsh.com.

Not the best hair day Tamara Taylor, the Minnetonka acupuncturist, has selected better hairstyles than the one she was wearing.

Naturally, I kept this thought to myself.

Redder and better? Alan Kalter, the announcer on "The Late Night Show with David Letterman," looked as though he was wearing black, white and RED.

Is Kalter's hair redder than Conan O'Brien's?

"Everything I have is redder than Conan's." Kalter said. "We're on a much better, realer channel."

He absolutely said realer.

Mrs. Cunningham Marian Ross is one satisfied Starkey customer.

I thought she was about pop it out and show it off: "No, I'm not going to. But isn't it a precious thing? Can you see anything?" Nothing but the very nice earrings she was wearing.

Watch this It was a full evening as you can see at startribune.com/video.

I forced singer Crosby Loggins into a duet of his daddy Kenny's "Your Daddy Don't Rock and Roll." Got hugs from my celebrity buddies Cheryl Tiegs and Dan Buettner.

Got "Dancing with the Stars" partners Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez. There was gossip about them being at the event together, which I tamped down by underscoring that she's married to a cop with whom she has four kids.

As usual, I went home early, explaining to Tani Austin, the prettier half of the foundation on a mission to provide hearing aids to kids around the world, that I'll stick around for the show the year Patti Austin headlines the gala.

Probably.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com.